Self and Social Identity in Educational Contexts

This innovative volume integrates social identity theory with research on teaching and education to shed new and fruitful light on a variety of different pedagogical concerns and practices. It brings together researchers at the cutting edge of new developments with a wealth of teaching and research experience. The work in this volume will have a significant impact in two main ways. First and foremost, the social identity approach that is applied will provide the theoretical and empirical platform for the development of new and creative forms of practice in educational settings. Just as the application of this theory has made significant contributions in organisational and health settings, a similar benefit will accrue for conceptual and practical developments related to learners and educators – from small learning groups to larger institutional settings – and in the development of professional identities that reach beyond the classroom. The chapters demonstrate the potential of applying social identity theory to education and will stimulate increased research activity and interest in this domain. By focusing on self, social identity and education, this volume investigates with unprecedented clarity the social and psychological processes by which learners’ personal and social self-concepts shape and enhance learning and teaching. Self and Social Identity in Educational Contexts will appeal to advanced students and researchers in education, psychology and social identity theory. It will also be of immense value to educational leaders and practitioners, particularly at tertiary level.

Table of Contents:
Contributors PART I: Introducing social identity in educational contexts Introducing self and social identityin educational contexts: promoting learning, managing conflict, facilitating change (Michael J. Platow, Kenneth I. Mavor and Boris Bizumic) The social identity approach to education and learning: Identification, ideation, interaction, influence and ideology (S. Alexander Haslam) PART II: Social identity in the classroom and playground School climate, social identity processes and school outcomes: making the case for a group-level approach to understanding schools (Katherine J. Reynolds, Emina Subasic, Eunro Lee and Dave Bromhead) Bullying and belonging: social identity on the playground (Siân E. Jones, Andrew G. Livingstone and Antony S. R. Manstead) PART III: Social identities between the classroom and beyond Why so few? The role of social identity and situational cues in understanding the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields (Kathryn L. Boucher and Mary C. Murphy) The educational experience of students from low socio-economic status background (Jolanda Jetten, Aarti Iyer and Airong Zhang) Indigenous education in Australia: a battle of identities (Diana M. Grace and Michael J. Platow) Education and social participation: civic identity and civic action in formal and informal education contexts (Emma F. Thomas, Craig McGarty, Avelie Stuart, Girish Lala and Anne Pedersen) PART IV: Becoming and influencing: the role of social identity in student life University students’ social identity and health behaviours (Joanne R. Smith, Winnifred R. Louis and Mark Tarrant) The role of psychological need satisfaction in promoting student identification (Katharine Greenaway, Catherine E. Amiot, Winnifred R. Louis and Sarah V. Bentley) Uncertainty in transition: the influence of group cohesion on learning (Tegan Cruwys, Amber M. Gaffney and Yvonne Skipper) PART V: Approaches to learning and academic performance The role of students’ social identities in fostering high-quality learning in higher education (Ana-Maria Bliuc, Peter Goodyear and Robert A. Ellis) Understanding social identity in education: the modifying role for perceived norms (Lillian Smyth, Kenneth I. Mavor, Michael J. Platow and Diana M. Grace) Performance in small student groups: group personality, identity and norms (Conal Monaghan and Boris Bizumic) Student identity and the marketization of higher education (Stefanie J. Sonnenberg) PART VI: Insights and applications from medical education Stereotyping and the development of clinicians’ professional identities (Bryan Burford and Harriet E. S. Rosenthal-Stott) Hero, voyeur, judge: understanding medical students’ moral identities through professionalism dilemma narratives (Lynn V. Monrouxe and Charlotte E. Rees) The complexity of medical education: social identity and normative influence in well-being and approaches to learning (Kathleen G. McNeill, Lillian Smyth and Kenneth I. Mavor) PART VII: Making connections The social construction of teachers’ identities: finding connections in social identity and post-structuralist perspectives (Emma Rich, Kenneth I. Mavor and Louisa Webb) Index

About the Author :
Kenneth I. Mavor is Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, UK. His research focuses on the cognitive underpinnings of self and identity and the implications of social identity in a variety of contexts including education, religiosity, collective action and health. Michael J. Platow is Professor of Psychology at the Australian National University and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. His research examines leadership and social influence, fairness and trust, prejudice and intergroup relations, and group identities and learning. His teaching has been recognised by a Commonwealth Office of Learning and Teaching Carrick Citation. Boris Bizumic is Senior Lecturer in Psychology in the Research School of Psychology at the Australian National University. His research expertise is in social, personal and political psychology. He has published widely in the areas of ethnocentrism, prejudice, group identity, education, personality, attitudes, cross-cultural research and scale construction.

Review :
"This path-breaking volume puts social identity centre stage for understanding educational outcomes. By addressing the most central questions—from how to best promote learning in elementary through professional schools, reduce negative outcomes, and facilitate positive climates that allow everyone to feel like they belong and can learn—this volume is absolutely essential for theorists and practitioners alike. The editors have assembled some remarkable intellectuals who have collectively created a coherent volume that I predict will rapidly become a ‘classic’. No student or professional in education or psychology can read this impressive array of evidence concerning the essential role of social identities in learning without it profoundly shifting how they think and act in education settings." - Nyla R. Branscombe, Professor of Psychology, University of Kansas, USA "Books that are insightful, thoughtful provoking, and written in a way that is accessible to multiple reader types are hard to come by; this, we believe, is one of them. Mavor, Platow, and Bizumic (2017) have provided us with a book that is equally as important in education as it is in psychology. We would strongly encourage academics, educators, and students, who are interested in extending their knowledge of educational practice and research, to keep a copy of this book on their desk for easy access!" - Dean P. McDonnell and Laura M. Griffin, Frontiers in Psychology